New flu test provides results in hours instead of days

Here is a new tool in the fight against the flu.

The machine helps run a test developed by the Centers for Disease Control that can determine in just hours, instead of days, the specific strain of flu a patient has.

“It’s very important to detect very early that it’s the normal flu or if it’s avian flu, also known as the H5N1 virus,“ explained Mark Stevenson, president of Applied Biosystems, the company that makes the machine.

Any patient with bird flu would be detected and treated early and quickly, possibly preventing a major outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration just gave clearance for the system to run special tests developed by the Centers for Disease Control.

Public health labs throughout the U.S. will begin using the test starting this flu season.

There’s another benefit as well.

The test may also help ensure that your future flu shot is right on target with the type of flu that’s circulating that season.

“Eventually what comes out of this is because you know directly what the strain is, we can target much earlier what is the right flu shot to give people. At the moment we’re rather in slow in reacting to this. This would be a much faster way to say, here’s the strains that have come out this year, here’s the right flu shot,“ Stevenson said.

The CDC estimates the flu kills 36,000 people every year in the United States.

If this test can lead to a more effective flu shot it could save lives.

The test is performed using a nasal swab.

The CDC plans to put the system in 60 public health labs nationwide.